ABSTRACT
Interesting the public is an important aspect of journalism. Whilst journalists have a responsibility to inform the public about what is happening in their world, they also need to do it in a way that attracts an audience. Writing dry, highly detailed geopolitical analyses is important for a small intellectual elite, but most people would not be prepared to invest their time and effort in such a piece of reporting. The ability of gossip to define clear groups of people: insiders and outsiders has been identified by several writers. Max Gluckman expands on the theme by pointing out that the more exclusive the group, the greater the amount of gossip. As broadcasting has taken over the alerting role of newspapers, so newspapers, particularly the tabloids, seem to have come to rely more and more on the importance of gossip to their readers in order to hold circulation and therefore profits. Several authors identify the aspirational nature of gossip.
